


Proud

by reddies_eggos1711



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti)
Genre: Beverly Marsh & Richie Tozier Are Best Friends, Beverly Marsh is a Good Friend, Gay Richie Tozier, M/M, Maggie makes delicious cake, The Losers are supportive, We love, alright chippies here it be, i mean its not canon but who cares we're here for fix it fics and that's it, its Richie's birthday, its short (and i didn't try at all) but sweet, like honestly, the only wholesome thing i have written ever
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-01-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:34:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22107145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reddies_eggos1711/pseuds/reddies_eggos1711
Summary: Beverly Marsh knew – she’d found out by accident.The Losers knew – Beverly told them by accident.The Losers all know Richie’s secret – he doesn’t know they know.Richie’s birthday seems the perfect time to show him just how much the Losers care about him.
Relationships: Beverly Marsh & Richie Tozier, The Losers Club & Richie Tozier
Comments: 2
Kudos: 76





	Proud

**Author's Note:**

> wholesome? me? who am I?

Beverly Marsh was the first – and only – person Richie ever told and, in his defence, it _was_ an accident.

Bev had been making her way home from the pharmacy one Saturday afternoon when she’d spotted Richie in an alleyway. He had clearly been jumped and Bev noticed immediately the stream of blood that ran from his nose.

She took a detour to tend to him. Getting home could wait.

“Richie?”

The boy looked up almost startled by the other voice and Bev noticed a large crack in his glasses. She hissed at the site. “Ah, Bev. What are you –”

“I was just on my way home. What happened?” Subconsciously, Bev reached forward as though to touch him, however stopping inches from his face. Seeing the damage much clearer now, Bev felt an angry fire burn behind her eyes at whoever had done this to her friend.

His left eye was red, almost bloodshot, cradled by heavily increasing swelling. The blood that ran from his nose created a red path over his lips and down the front of his shirt. It was almost impossible to tell whether the blood smeared on his teeth was from his nose or the split lip he kept running his tongue over.

“Jesus, fuck, Rich.”

Richie battered her hovering hand back to her side. “I just ran into Bowers again. Nothing new.” He averted his gaze.

“What? Unprovoked? That’s fucked up!”

Richie let out a dead laugh. The damage to his eye caused it to tear up and he pawed at the escaping moisture. “Unprovoked? Well, apparently not. Apparently me staring at the cute cashier selling smokes provoked him.”

Bev frowned. “Why would Henry care if you’re staring at some girl – wait…”

As if realising what he’d said, Richie’s eyes grew three times larger and his mouth unhinged as he tried to stutter out an excuse – any excuse.

Bev reached out and grabbed his hand, the bronze bracelets around her wrist jingling as she did so. “Richie… it’s okay. I don’t care.”

Richie stared down at her hand that had wrapped around his. “You don’t?”

His voice was quiet. So quiet that Bev couldn’t _not_ laugh. “No. Jesus, Rich. I don’t care who you stare at, who you like, or who you fuck, as long as you aren’t a dick like Bowers.”

Richie was silent for a moment before releasing a wet laugh and looking up, revealing trails of tears that weren’t from the pain.

Bev cocked her head at him, frowning. She hated seeing her friends upset. She pulled him into a tight embrace, only holding on tighter when she felt his sob rattle between them.

Beverly Marsh was the first – and only – person Richie ever told and, though it was an accident, she’s glad he did.

…

Beverly Marsh was good at keeping secrets, sure. She wasn’t so good at keeping secrets when she’d forgotten they were secret at all.

Being the only person who knew resulted in her being the only one Richie could talk to about it. Which in turn meant it was never brought up anywhere else with anyone else. Which meant it was never continuously emphasized to be a secret. Because that was implied. Heavily, _heavily_ implied.

The Losers were at the clubhouse. The Losers save from Richie who they were waiting on. Bev didn’t know who led to the change but the conversation had drifted drastically from ‘I bet I can chug this soda faster than you’ to ‘do you think we’ll drift apart in high school?’ ( _thanks, Stan_ ).

Eddie had been _very_ aggressively insisting that they’d never not be friends when Bev contributed to the conversation.

“Eddie’s right. I mean the worst that could happen is you all get too busy with high school girls and leave Richie and I out, right?”

Bill frowned at her. “Why Richie?”

“Well, yeah, Richie too. But he’ll be looking at the boys from the sidelines so he’ll still make time for me. You guys? I dunno. High school girls take up a lot of time.”

Bev was suddenly incredibly aware of all ten eyes on her. She couldn’t place why. She raised an eyebrow.

Mike spoke up with a light cough. “Richie will be what?”

Realisation hit her like a tidal wave, accompanied with the colour fleeing her cheeks. “Shit.”

Bill stepped closer. “Bev, is Richie gay?”

“Shit. That’s supposed to be a secret. I’m a horrible person…” Bill’s eyes trained firmly on her force her to sigh and answer the question. “Yes, he is. But you can’t tell him you know! Swear you won’t say anything.”

The Losers swore.

…

They swore not to say anything. Bev realised that didn’t mean they couldn’t _do_ anything.

It was Richie’s birthday and, three days prior, Bev had conspired with the Losers the perfect gift for him from them all.

They sat on the floor of Richie’s room, surrounded by torn wrapping paper and empty plates of Mrs Tozier’s delicious cake, as Richie prepared to open the last remaining present.

“Okay, okay, this one!” Bev jumped to her knees, far too eager for her own good. “This one is from all of us and it’s my favourite!”

The Losers became a chorus of agreement.

Richie laughed. “Aw, Bev, you didn’t. Mrs K all to myself? You shouldn’t have.”

Eddie groaned, shooting him a glare. “Just open the gift, asshole.”

Richie held his hands up in defence before taking the soft gift out of the final gift bag. It was only wrapped in tissue paper so Richie should have been fairly quick.

He wasn’t. And it wasn't just to be annoying. Richie’s fingers had peeled back a loose corner of the tissue paper, revealing colours of red and orange. He knew. From where Bev sat she could see his eyes growing misty behind his glasses as he looked down at the gift.

Finally, managing to unveil it all, a slow tear tracked down his cheek.

He unfolded the flag in all its rainbow glory.

“Happy birthday, Rich.” Bev spoke, shuffling closer to him. “We all love you, you know that?”

In that moment, with the best friends he’d ever had, Richie did know that.

And Richie was proud.

**Author's Note:**

> *cries* wholesome? *cries harder* me? *bawling* who am I?


End file.
